Why a billionaire jet owner is betting on the future of high-end flying – The National

Why a billionaire jet owner is betting on the future of high-end flying – The National

Thomas Flohr chose not to furlough any of his company's employees when the pandemic hit the global aviation industry

















Thomas Flohr's VistaJet Group operates a fleet of 115 silver-and-red business aircraft and his company is back to 85% of its pre-pandemic traffic. Antonie Robertson / The National







When coronavirus shuttered international travel this year, Thomas Flohr of VistaJet Group chose not to furlough any of his company's employees.



"We took a bold decision and said: we're not going to lay off anyone, we're going to keep all the employees, we're not going to ground any airplanes,“ Mr Flohr said. "In hindsight, it was the right decision.“



His group operates a fleet of 115 silver-and-red business aircraft and Mr Flohr said his company is back to 85 per cent of its pre-pandemic traffic. Much of the recent demand has come from new customers - mainly entrepreneurs and executives seeking alternatives to commercial flying.



With no clear recovery in sight for commercial airlines, Mr Flohr said he believes VistaJet will capitalise on growing awareness and demand for the flexibility and greater physical distancing that private jets offer.



Mr Flohr, 60, founded the firm